Weed Wonder - Recoletora
WHERE OTHERS SEE WEEDS, ALEXANDRE DELMAR AND MARIA RUIVO SEE EDIBLE AND CURATIVE PLANTS. AND SO RECOLETORA WAS BORN, A PILOT-PROJECT THAT HAS PRODUCED A CATALOGUE OF WILD PLANTS THAT GROW ON WASTELAND.
SANDRA NOBRE
Words
ALEXANDRE DELMAR
Photography
Alexandre Delmar’s a photographer and videographer, Maria Ruivo’s a graphic designer and creative director. They are two urban souls who discovered the world of edible wild plants through a project designed for the Porto Design Biennale 2021, scouring wasteland and gaining a new perspective on city space in the process.
Despite diverse backgrounds, common interests brought them together. Alexandre, who spent his childhood in Portugal’s northern Trás-os-Montes region, is enthusiastic about rural areas, cultural memory, ancestral activities, agriculture, the pastoral and landscapes. In 2001, he co-wrote the book Notas sobre o Abaixo de Cão, about Porto’s illegal allotments. On the other hand, Maria and a friend run the À Capucha! studio, which explores the link between design and handicrafts, intangible and material heritage, as well as how to keep traditional techniques alive. Over time she developed a love of botany, which was ably nurtured by the pandemic. From this pot-pourri of endeavours, came Recoletora, a project that has seen their ideas grow and bear fruit.
What were those plants growing in the concrete? For Maria, this question stems from more than mere curiosity. “It has to do with the environment, with society, a more balanced way of being. Nowadays, it’s important to look, rethink and contribute more actively.” “What are weeds?” asks Alexandre. “They’re plants that look after us, feed us. They’re only called weeds because they began competing with agricultural production.” Initially, the duo just wanted to know their names and usefulness. However, the biennial facilitated their learning and, against all expectations, rewarded their work.
A transformative
movement
To boost their credibility and validate what they had discovered, reinforcements were needed. Despite extensive reading during the pandemic, they wanted and needed to know more, which meant a recruitment drive. The team were soon joined by Fernanda Botelho, a wild plant specialist who advocates their use in medicine and food, Maria's cousin, Inês Ruivo, who is a nutritionist with published work on oncological diets, and chef Cuka Linck, who is knowledgeable about permaculture and the importance of avoiding food waste.
As part of the project supported by the Porto and Matosinhos municipalities, they chose four green study areas (Perafita, Leça da Palmeira, Aldoar and Fontainhas) with different habitats (urban wasteland, woods, seaside and riverside). “We went to the places and surveyed the wild, edible and medicinal flora,” says Maria Ruivo. Contaminated land, like roadsides, sewers and industrial units, was ignored. For Alexandre, the experience couldn't have been better: “At the beginning, the walks with Fernanda Botelho changed everything. When we go out in the street, we look at places and wild plants in a different way.” It’s much the same for those who participate in the project’s activities, which attract a mixed group, from the general public to landscape architects, teachers and students.
The variety they found was surprising: “We encountered over 60 species, which is mad if you think about the number of those we actually eat. Most people don’t know they’re highly nutritious, abundant and need little care,” says Alexandre.
Recoletora has certainly branched out: it has mapped plants, created an archive that has become a website, and been the subject of campaigns publicising walks and organised culinary workshops. What's next? “For every walk, there are more plants,” Maria reveals. Such discoveries have “affected the other projects and created new opportunities in Porto, Esposende and Viana do Castelo,” Alexandre adds. And you find yourself eating nettle soup and using dandelions in the kitchen, which is nothing new. That said, it’s more difficult for some folk to accept, like shepherds. They still remember the hard times and don’t want to suffer the same deprivation again. Now, they admit that this project is less artistic and more a transformative movement in society: “Slowly but surely, I feel that we’ve changed people's mentality and that’s what re-energises us.”
